The sulfide-releasing final step of sulfate reduction metabolism

Making a living from sulfur compounds is challenging, because of sulfur’s highly flexible chemistry. Therefore, the protein-based machineries used by sulfate-/sulfite-reducing organisms are specialised to prevent side reactions. Even though sulfate reduction plays an important role in shaping the global climate and nutrient cycles, we don’t have a good understanding of the structure and function of the membrane-bound complexes that catalyse steps of the pathway and link it to bioenergetics. I will speak about a complex that carries out the final step of this pathway, catalysing sulfide release, and about the way the complex manages the reactivity of sulfur species.